Introducing Shellfish

First serve

Well-cooked shrimp minced very finely and stirred into a moist, familiar puree — shrimp's firm, springy texture makes fine mincing essential at 6 months.

Build up like this:

Day 1: a small taste (about ¼ teaspoon of finely minced cooked shrimp) mixed into a familiar food, early in the day; watch for 2 hours.
If no reaction, repeat with a slightly larger amount over the next several days.
Build to a regular serving of finely chopped shrimp folded into rice, pasta, or vegetable dishes.

Then keep it going: Once tolerated, keep shellfish in the rotation about twice a week so the exposure stays consistent rather than occasional.

What a reaction can look like

• Hives or raised welts, often spreading quickly
• Redness and swelling around the mouth, lips, or face
• Vomiting within about 2 hours
• Coughing, wheezing, or labored breathing — shellfish reactions can be stronger and faster than many other food reactions, so treat any breathing symptom as an emergency

Trouble breathing, tongue or lip swelling, widespread hives with vomiting, or a pale, floppy baby means call 911 now. See the emergency guide.

Good to know

• Shellfish allergy tends to be lifelong and its reactions are among the more severe food reactions, so be especially deliberate about the small first dose and the 2-hour observation window.
• Crustaceans (shrimp, crab, lobster) and mollusks (clams, scallops) are related but distinct groups — tolerating shrimp does not automatically clear the others.
• Serve every new allergen early in the day so you can observe for the next 2 hours, and introduce one new allergen at a time with about 3 days before the next one.

Foods that deliver it

Shrimp →